Many wireless computer networks have been defined in which a wireless computing device communicates with a network via an access point (AP). One common example is described in the IEEE 802.11 standard. As used herein, “IEEE 802.11” refers to a set of IEEE Wireless LAN (WLAN) standards that govern wireless networking transmission methods. IEEE 802.11 standards have been and are currently being developed by working group 11 of the IEEE LAN/MAN Standards Committee (IEEE 802). Any of the IEEE standards or specifications referred to herein are incorporated by reference in their entirety and may be obtained at http://standards.ieee.org/getieee802/index.html or by contacting the IEEE at IEEE, 445 Hoes Lane, PO Box 1331, Piscataway, N.J. 08855-1331, USA. The IEEE 802.11 standards are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety.
An access point or access port (AP) device used in a WLAN typically includes many different modules within an enclosure or housing. Some of the modules within the enclosure include a WLAN radio module, a clock source and a PCI bus that couples the clock source to the WLAN radio module. The clock source generates a clock signal that it provides over the PCI bus to the WLAN radio module. A WLAN radio module can operate over one of a number WLAN channels. For example, an IEEE compliant WLAN radio module can operate over any one of fourteen different WLAN channels at any particular time.
Because the clock source and the PCI bus are coupled to the WLAN radio module, and within close proximity of the WLAN radio module, the clock signal generated by the clock source can also be inadvertently picked up or received by the WLAN radio module. When the WLAN radio module operates over particular ones of the WLAN channels, the clock signal that is used to drive the PCI bus generates harmonics of its fundamental clock frequency, and some of these harmonics can act as noise at the WLAN radio module. When operating over certain WLAN channels, this noise can cause interference with respect to incoming radio frequency (RF) signals that the WLAN radio module is receiving and processing. As such, one drawback with such AP architectures is that when the WLAN radio operates over particular WLAN channels, the clock signal can cause noise and interference at the WLAN radio module. Among other things, this interference can reduce receive sensitivity (RS) at the WLAN radio module.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide techniques for reducing noise and interference caused by a clock signal generated by a clock source and/or carried on a PCI bus that is close proximity to a WLAN radio module. Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description of the invention and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and this background of the invention.